65-Year-Old Man Sets Records With Epic 6,800-Mile Solo Kayak Quest

After over a year of paddling a nearly 7,000-mile loop around waterways across Canada and the United States, a 65-year-old man’s solo kayak journey has ended.

Mark Ervin Fuhrmann, a Canadian living in Norway, first set out on his voyage in June 2022 to raise money for Doctors Without Borders and Captains Without Borders, he told the Good News Network.

He traveled on the Greater Loop, which took him down the eastern coast of Nova Scotia and the United States and back up through Alabama, Tennessee, and Illinois until he hit Lake Michigan and crossed back into Canada. Fuhrmann said it required 1,643 hours of paddle time, totaling about 68 straight days of paddling. He, of course, spread the journey across months and spent 268 days actively paddling.

“It’s been a hell of a trip,” he told the news agency, “but worth every minute of exertion, discomfort, and pain. Not only to raise money and awareness, but also to connect with nature, people, and something deep within myself.”

He stopped along the route and interacted with people along the way, who he described as “99.9% genuine, good people.” The kayaker also documented the trip on YouTube and social media, raising awareness for his brand called “Reverse the Bad.”

There were challenges along the way. From Portland, Maine to St. John, New Brunswick, Fuhrmann said he paddled for nine days in “total fog.”

“Some evenings, I had to drag my kayak up three or four meters of rock inclines, while others, I was lucky enough to sleep on moored lobster vessels,” he told the outlet. “There were some challenging waves, too, as well as a lot of ferries and fishing boats to avoid. It’s been incredibly draining… and I’m looking forward to a good night’s sleep in an actual bed.”

His journey started in Halifax, Nova Scotia, last June, and by Aug. 2 he had completed his quest and raised $7,000 on GoFundMe to support his mission and even more directly to charity.